THE final touches are being made to a £1m restoration of Toxteth's St Margaret's church.

The building in Princes Road was once featured in the ECHO's Stop The Rot hit-list.

But all that is now confined to history and parishioners are preparing for a reopening celebration tomorrow.

The massive restoration project was launched more than 10 years ago by then Bishop of Liverpool, David Sheppard.

But the money only became available in 2000 when English Heritage awarded a £600,000 grant to enable the work to be carried out.

Now, precious frescos which had been hidden for decades can be revealed for the first time, while repairs have been carried out to the roof and flooring and the heating is working for the first time in two years.

The vicar of St Margaret's, the Rev Robert Gallagher, said: "Although there is only a handful of regular churchgoers, there is a real sense of ownership in the local community.

"It is testament to the special place this church has in the community that I can say, in the 14 years I have been here, we have suffered no serious incidents of vandalism or crime.

"This is a very close community and St Margaret's is at its heart."

During the 12-month restoration project, parishioners have been attending services in the Rectory and at nearby Roman Catholic and Methodist churches.

Tomorrow's celebration, which begins at 1pm, will include tours of the church, a video display and thanksgiving service.

The Rev Gallagher will also launch a Friends of St Margaret's group to help with a new phase of fundraising towards the complete restoration of the Frescos, which depict scenes from the crucifixion.